


the rise of expectations (the descent of failure)

by orphan_account



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Death, Character Study, Gen, I was sad and this happened, It’s not that bad I promise, Kageyama Tobio-centric, i didn’t talk about oikawa for some reason, i don’t know, i think this is angst so i’ll tag, just in case, overuse of the word hands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 09:21:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26969683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: It was always just him and volleyball.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou & Kageyama Tobio, Kageyama Tobio & Karasuno Volleyball Club, Kageyama Tobio & Kitagawa Daiichi Volleyball Club, Kageyama Tobio & Schweiden Adlers
Comments: 2
Kudos: 48





	the rise of expectations (the descent of failure)

Kageyama Tobio was not dumb, despite the blazing red marks on papers and the whispered snickers of certain teammates of his. He was unmotivated, grades were boring and why study when there was volleyball.

Volleyball was always there.

It was always there when strong, weathered hands taught him how to maintain his own chubbier, smaller hands. It was there after he wore a black suit for the first time, holding a slender hand that wasn’t saturated in decades older knowledge. Instead a hand that was unsure and never really there in the beginning tried to clutch onto his hand.

It shouldn’t be surprising that this hand left too. It still hurt. 

Both hands left his life to go to a better place. A place he wasn’t at. 

It was always just him and volleyball. The only constant since he could remember. It would never leave him, never cause him to curl up in the corner of his bed, alone and lonely. 

Until it did. Until it bounced away from his now-larger, slimmer hands and into the shadows of abandonment.

He was left drained and empty for days. Hands slightly larger than his, one pair rougher from use and one pair paler from avoidance of outside entered his life with exuberance. They left his life with venomous glares and sharp laughs of, “ _king_ ”. Kageyama Tobio was coronated with a heavy crown welded of mocking gold and belittling silver and left to rule by himself.

Kageyama was not dumb, despite the rejection letter and scoffing laugh of a senior he admired. He analyzed and pondered and chose a place to try and hold a hand once more. 

And if he found more than one hand reaching out to stabilize him when his legs shook under the weight; soothed him when his wrists ached from the shadows curling around the pale skin? He clutched onto them.

He found a fire at a place drenched in despair and hope. The blaze matched the one he hid under a sharp tongue and loud commands. It burned away any shadow, any defensive barrier— leaving just Kageyama’s bare flame and deeply slashed bones. 

Leaving just Tobio.

Kageyama left the hope-saturated place with a crown made of sticks and trash, yet light enough to soar; to rule the skies of his flock. The heft of metal was unfitting at the time, weighing him down.

He relished in the glowing lights and the cheers whistling through his ears. Kageyama shook hands with ones that told him of “ _show me why you are better_ ” and “ _let me fly above the walls_ ”.

Kageyama added sleek, white feathers tipped in gold to his crown of mud and sticks. Finally, the weight of gold added to the air boosting him higher.

And when he found the fire again, blazing higher than he ever thought possible, drying the tear tracks on his face to stains? He allowed his hands to burn, if only to shake hands with the one that allowed him to be free.

And when he spotted the ones that pushed volleyball away from him, just as he did to them? Kageyama displayed his crown and offered a peace treaty. They signed with hands still rougher and paler than his.

And finally, when the unsure hands came back into his life, no longer shaking under the weight of responsibility, Tobio held on tight to the only other Kageyama in his life.

  
Kageyama Tobio was not dumb and volleyball would never leave him.

**Author's Note:**

> this is based off me telling my friend that i would write a fanfic where everyone kageyama loves dies because it’s canon that everyone who has ever loved him leaves him :)
> 
> i didn’t kill anyone because i felt bad so have this
> 
> if this made you feel emotions, a comment would be nice- if not it’s okay! ok bye have a nice day!


End file.
